diablofandomcom-20200222-history
Diablo Immortal
Diablo Immortal is a mobile MMOARPG (massively multiplayer online, action–role-playing game) for Android and iOS devices. Plot The game will tell stories set between the events of Diablo II: Lord of Destruction and Diablo III, taking place in the year 1270.2018-11-03, BlizzCon 2018: Diablo Immortal. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2018-11-04 The catalyst of the plot is the destruction of the Worldstone. Although destroyed, its fragments carried Baal's corruption with them, wrecking havoc across Sanctuary.2018-11-02, Diablo Immortal Cinematic Trailer. YouTube, accessed on 2018-04-11 The game's main antagonist is Skarn, Herald of Diablo, who seeks to gather the Worldstone fragments to resurrect his master and reignite the Eternal Conflict. Simultaniously, a fledging Coven has emerged, its cultists roaming the land and spreading corruption wherever they trod. The game's plot will include what happened to humanity after Tyrael destroyed the Worldstone, the activities of Deckard Cain, why Malthael abandoned Heaven, how the Demon Hunters were founded, what the golden age of Westmarch was like2018-11-02, Diablo: Immortal is coming to your phone, lets you slay demons anywhere. Blizzard Watch, accessed on 2018-11-03 and the schemes of Adria and Maghda. It has been indicated that the game's narrative may extend beyond the 1270 timeframe; when asked if vinigette-type stories will feature, the developers responded that "twenty years (the gap between Diablo II & III) is a long time." Gameplay The game uses touchscreen controls. Characters are controlled using a virtual thumbstick on the left side of the screen while the ability cluster is located on the right. The class skills were designed around the mobile interface, to move a character and target a skill simultaniously. It is designed to be played in a variety of ways in terms of time, ranging from short sessions to 5-6 hours at a time. The game is divided into two types of areas—outdoor areas, where any player can drop in and out of2018-11-02, Diablo: Immortal coming to mobile as a ‘full-fledged’ action RPG. Polygon, accessed on 2018-11-05 through "dynamic events"2018-11-02, Diablo is getting a ‘full-fledged’ mobile RPG. The Verge, accessed on 2018-11-05 and dungeons, which are instanced, four-player experiences. Each dungeon has a specific number of monsters and a selection of bosses, while monsters will respawn over time in outdoor areas. At launch, the game will have eight zones and seven dungeons. Westmarch serves as the game hub, where players can interact with each other and purchase items from vendors before heading back into the world.Diablo Immortal, Blizzard Entertainment. Accessed on 2018-11-05 A loot system features, but at least in the demo, loot does not affect class appearance2018-11-02, Diablo Immortal Is A Simplified Diablo, Maybe Too Simplified. Kotaku, accessed on 2018-11-05 (in the final version, loot will change class appearance).2018-11-03, Diablo Immortal is an MMO. Blizzard Watch, accessed on 2018-07-11 Loot cannot be traded between players. Legendary Items return from Diablo III. though each function independently rather than act as part of a set. Hardcore mode is unlikely to feature due to the issue of possible disconnects. However, the developers are looking at implementing a similar mode.2018-11-02, BlizzCon 2018 Diablo: What’s Next Liveblog. Blizzard Watch, accessed on 2018-11-07 Classes in the game include the Barbarian, Crusader, Demon Hunter, Monk, Necromancer, and Wizard. New classes may be added post-launch; the Assassin and Witch Doctor have been mentioned as possibilities. There is no mana or resource system, only skill cooldowns. Each class has a choice of 12 abilities, and may equip up to 5 of them at a time. Development The first hint of Diablo Immortal arguably goes as far back as 2014, where the idea of the fragments of the Worldstone being explored was raised at BlizzCon 2014. Valerie Watrous commented that it would be an interesting idea to explore.2013-12-08, BlizzCon 2013 – Diablo III Lore and Story Q&A Panel Transcript. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2014-03-24 Reportedly, the idea of a Diablo mobile game was something Blizzard had discussed "for a long time" (as of 2018). By late 2015, Blizzard was hiring for positions for a new Diablo project. By June, 2016, Blizzard had opened a position for a game director.2016-06-29, UNANNOUNCED DIABLO PROJECT NOW HIRING GAME DIRECTOR. Blizzpro, accessed on 2016-07-03 The position openings were either filled or removed by September, 2016.2016-09-30, Diablo 4 job postings filled, Diablo 3 confirmed maintenance mode?. YouTube, accessed on 2016-10-04 In January 2017, Julian Love stated that in regards to another main series installment, "I think everyone wants that."2017-01-04, Developer Insights: 20 years of Diablo. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2017-01-23 In February 2017, David Brevik stated that "there's no doubt in my mind" that there would be a Diablo IV.2017-02-17, DIABLO 4 Will Happen, According to Diablo 2 Lead Dev David Brevik (Interview). YouTube, accessed on 2017-04-08 At BlizzCon 2017, Brandy Camel confirmed that Blizzard was "exploring what's next" for the franchise, but that they had nothing to show (to the public) yet. Diablo content creators were asked for feedback on what they speculated would be in the works.2017-11-05, DIABLO III: EXPLORING COMMUNITY. Blizzpro, accessed on 2017-19-11 In December 2017, Goldman Sachs stated that a Diablo game was predicted to release in 2019.2017-12-12, Activision shares to get a boost from Overwatch, Diablo sequels, Goldman says. CNBC, accessed on 2017-12-13 In August 2018, Camel confirmed that multiple Diablo projects were in development.2018-08-08, Nevalistis Teases Multiple Diablo III Projects. Blizzplanet, accessed on 2018-08-10 In September of the same year, the existence of a new Diablo game was inadvertantly revealed with a leaked description for Diablo: Issue 1.2018-09-08, “New Diablo Game Confirmed by Blizzard;” Diablo 3 Switch release date leaked? And more... YouTube, accessed on 2018-09-09 Again in September, Goldman Sachs sent a message to investors advising them of several launch announcements at BlizzCon 2018, including Diablo IV and a Diablo or Warcraft mobile title.2018-09-19, Goldman Sachs expects OW expansion at Blizzcon. Reddit, accessed on 2018-09-24 In October 2018, a "Reign of Terror" title was leaked via BlizzCon 2018 merchandise.2018-10-12, Diablo 4 Reign of Terror LEAKED via BlizzCon 2018 exclusive merchandise. Daily Star, accessed on 2018-10-12 Afterwards, addressing the issue, Blizzard stated "these are names and copy used for some of the new products available at BlizzCon this year, and not direct references to content at the show."2018-10-12, Blizzard Denies Diablo: Reign Of Terror Is A BlizzCon Leak. GameSpot, accessed on 2018-10-13 In the same month, Blizzard stated that it wouldn't announce all of its Diablo projects at the event.2018-10-17, Diablo at BlizzCon 2018. Blizzard Entertainment, accessed on 2018-10-22 The game was revealed at BlizzCon 2018. It is not being developed by Team 3. Development is split between a Blizzard development team and a NetEase development team. The Blizzard team is small in size, similar to Blizzard's Team 5 or Classic Games branches.2018-09-15, Diablo Unannounced Game is a Mobile Game (Android/iOS). Blizzplanet, accessed on 2018-09-16 New content will be added to the game over time. As of BlizzCon 2018, there are no plans to port the game to PC, and its pricing model has yet to be determined. However, in a subsequent interview, it was stated that the developers were being "non explicit" in regards to ports. It was mentioned that "future games" in the same vein would probably have cross-platform play, with Hearthstone being cited as an example. While the game looks similar to Diablo III, it uses different technology. When choosing the game's classes, the classes of Diablo II & III were looked at. Six were chosen from Diablo III as it was felt that they represented the franchise "very well." One of the first considerations was the game's control scheme.2018-11-02, A group interview answered a lot of my questions about Diablo Immortal — and drastically increased my excitement for it. Blizzard Watch, accessed on 2018-11-07 Reception Reception to the game at its release was predominantly negative. Both the cinematic and gameplay trailers from BlizzCon 2018 received an overwhelming amount of "dislikes"; many more times than the "likes" amount in both cases. The Diablo Reddit was also noted for fans expressing dissatisfaction, along with YouTube.2018-11-05, Blizzard Says It Wasn't Expecting Fans To Be This Angry About Diablo Immortal. Kotaku, accessed on 2018-11-05 At a followup Q&A, the news that the game would not receive a PC release was met with boos, and taunts were thrown out throughout the session. One member of the public even asked whether the game was an "out of season April Fool's joke." Reasons for the outcry were pointed out as being how the Diablo series was predominantly a PC-based series, and that Blizzard partnering with NetEase was a source of contention, as Blizzard had previously kept development in-house.2018-11-02, Blizzard is taking a bruising over its ‘Diablo Immortal’ announcement. Digital Trends, accessed on 2018-05-11 It was also suggested that fan expectation for Diablo IV had played a role in the outcry. Threads included calls for a boycott, a petition to have the game cancelled, and justifications for disrespectful treatment of Blizzard employees. There were also accusations of Blizzard removing dislikes from the YouTube trailers, but others have suggested that the number fluctuations are an algorithm issue or an adjustment after multi-account votes were removed. Similarities with Crusaders of Light (another NetEase game) were noticed, leading some to call the game a reskin. Polygon concluded that the claims were accurate in as much that the user interface was indeed similar to CoL.2018-11-02, Diablo fans call Diablo: Immortal a reskin of a free-to-play mobile game. Polygon, accessed on 2018-11-05 According to Allen Adham, the control scheme was indeed taken from CoL, but pointed out that the control scheme is ubiquitous in the East, if not in the West. Game websites were more amicable, but pointed out the game's simplified gameplay when compared to Diablo III. In response to fan outcry Wyatt Cheng confirmed that other Diablo games were in development.2018-11-05, Diablo Devs Try Again To Convince Fans They're Making A New Diablo Without Saying It. Kotaku, accessed on 2018-11-05 In an interview with Kotaku, Allen Adham stated that Blizzard had expected some backlash to the game, but "not to this degree" and "that being said, we knew our audience here desperately wants to see and hear about one thing in particular." Nathan Grayson noted that Blizzard had made a blog post that had effectively told fans not to expect Diablo IV, but postulated that some might have taken this as an attempt at reverse psychology. Adham confirmed in the same interview that the blog post had indeed been intended to dissuade fan expectation for Diablo IV. In an interview with Blizzard Watch, it was pointed out that Hearthstone had received a similar reaction as well when first announced, and that they hoped to win over fans from the PC space. Videos File:Diablo Immortal Cinematic Trailer File:Diablo Immortal Gameplay Trailer References External Links * Official Site * Press Site Category:Games